1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to voting systems which are implemented at least in part utilizing data processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of governments throughout the world which have adopted the western model of government, in which "qualified" and "registered" voters elect a variety of local, state, and federal officials to particular offices. Traditionally, western-style elections were conducted utilizing paper ballots which were issued to registered voters at particular polling places. This requires the physical attendance of the voter at a particular polling place in order to allow voting. In western countries, such as the United States of America, voter participation has been poor, perhaps largely due to the burdens of work and family which make fairly strenuous demands on the citizens. Another problem associated with western-style elections is the tremendous expense associated with conducting the elections in a manner which renders the election results substantially free from corruption and error. The goals of maximizing convenience, minimizing expense, and minimizing security risks are also found in developing nations which have adopted western-style democracies, but security problems abound in nations with a new found interest in western-style democracy, particularly in nations which have had a long history of autocratic, dictatorial, or military rule, in which past elections offered either no real choice, or in which voting fraud and corruption were prevalent.
Two other concerns also figure prominently in systems which enable democratic elections. The first concern is the voter's right of privacy to his or her voting decisions. The second consideration is the ease with which particular votes can be challenged (for lack of "qualification" of the voter) and corrected without presenting risks to the security and privacy of the votes in general.
The rising importance of the internet and other forms of electronic communication in the United States of America and abroad presents a unique opportunity to reduce the inconvenience and expense associated with traditional voting systems. However, there are a considerable number of concerns about security and privacy which will have to be met before the internet and/or other forms of electronic communication becomes viable as a substitute for or supplement to traditional paper ballot type elections.